A Winner is Two! Vitali the Ethereal
by An Ordinary Fan
Summary: Since Gig was inside his restaurant when said Master of Death was 'chosen' to enter a fighting tournament, Vitali is getting dragged along as well. But, something tells the cleric that their reward ISN'T riches beyond their wildest dreams...
1. Prologue

**Prologue, Part 1: Encountering the Necromancer**

Vitali was having one of those slow days. After he assisted Revya, Gig, and his other friends in destroying the World Eaters and saved the world, he had wanted nothing more than to retire from his work as a top-notch spy and have a quiet life as the head chef of a restaurant he could call his own. And he had gotten just what he wished for: after the initial boom in popularity a month ago, it seemed that the only customers he got nowadays were the occasional traveler, a few dedicated fans of his cooking from in-town, and the massively-in-debt Gig.

"Yo, hotpod boy! Quick; where the hell can I stash sixty bazillion buckaroos?"

Well, speak of the devil…literally, since that was what he once used to be. Perhaps this day would be a little more eventful than Vitali thought it would. Gig had come in carrying two sacks under his arms…but the cleric knew the man before him enough to identify an obvious ruse.

"Sixty bazillion, you say? Gig, you give yourself too much credit; you've probably eaten one bazillion at best," Vitali told him in a mocking tone. "Honestly, though, this is your worst gambit yet. The second I show you someplace secure, you'll just push me inside and make a mad dash to the storage room. Those bags are probably filled with rocks. Or, possibly, wax replicas of hot pods; your twisted humor would get a kick out of making me believe your thievery attempt failed, only to see the pained reactions of my customers the next day. Nice try."

"This is no joke, Nereid-brain; I've seriously hit the jackpot! Now hurry up and pull out a giant safe or something, or so help me Virtuous I'll staple your big mouth to your kneecap and-" Gig threatened, but he was cut short by the force of six thousand bolts hitting him in the back. Once the former Master of Death fell to the ground, Vitali could see that a tall man wearing a mostly green outfit had stabbed Gig with a lance that was still crackling with electricity.

"It's 'Gig', is it? Terribly sorry for that, but you just didn't seem like the type of character that would stay still and listen to orders without first being completely paralyzed," the stranger said to the now-unconscious body. "Now, on to the matter at hand. You are charged with stealing an absurd amount of money from what can only be described as a source that shouldn't be trifled with. Your sentence, fortunately, is one you will probably enjoy: banished to a distant island where an ultimate fighting competition is taking place. Two men enter, one man leaves, and all those other barbaric occurrences. We hope you enjoy your stay."

The bespectacled man then noticed that Vitali was now staring at him curiously. He uttered, "Oh, don't worry. I'm merely a man trying to restore a little order in this section of the world; nothing more, and nothing less."

"You don't _act_ like somebody my former master Christophe would associate with. Who are you?" Vitali inquired. Christophe was a rich nobleman that Vitali had worked for before joining Revya's quest, and except for a few hidden secrets, the man's life had been dedicated to keeping peace in the area and trying to help others. While the man standing before Vitali certainly seemed to have similar beliefs, there was something about him that the cleric didn't like.

"My, you act as though you've just swallowed a bug. And here I was, thinking that I was graced with never seeing a face like that again," the stranger sighed, apparently thinking back on some previous memories. "My name isn't important right now; if you're really curious, you can try to weasel it out of one of the underlings while you're on an express trip with your friend here."

At this, Vitali's expression changed from curious to somewhat worried. "Sir, you must be terribly mistaken. While I can guess at what unlawful acts have caused Gig's most recent strife, there is no reason why I should be included in this matter. Now, if you would kindly take everyone's favorite deadbeat and leave…"

"Terribly sorry, but I'm afraid that there are no words to resolve this matter with," the man responded. "I've been asked by some very important people from an organization called BORED to rally up some criminals for a little tournament they're holding. And, wouldn't you know, fraternizing with a lawbreaker is just criminal enough to qualify in their books. But you can relax; according to what I have heard about your world, the worst that could happen is you're torn limb from limb, only to come back in a couple of centuries or so. It's a rather paltry sum, considering what the others are going to face."

Vitali paused for a few moments to think. While he had no reason to surrender to this stranger, if the man was capable of knocking out Gig with one strike, then there would be little hope for the cleric if things got messy. In addition, the mention of an organization that even he didn't know of, and the phrase 'your world', sparked Vitali's curiosity. "It looks like I have no choice but to resign myself to this fate. Accepting the truth is difficult…but it is also necessary."

"I'm impressed; that sounds just like something I would say. If it helps any, this is just a façade. On the inside, I am truly devastated to have to send a man like you to certain death. My shame in betraying a fellow scholar is almost unparalleled," said the man, his expression not changing in the slightest. This did absolutely nothing when it came to dealing with Vitali's concerns.

**Prologue, Part 2: First Steps on Grand Cross Isle**

The ride was more pleasant than Vitali would have thought. Of course, the knowledge that he would be forced to fight for his own survival the second he arrived did make the trip a tad uncomfortable, but at least he was able to view the pleasant scenery they flew over in a helicopter.

Once they had dropped him onto the island (thankfully, not _literally_ dropped), he surveyed the immediate area. Thanks to the view from the flying machine, he knew that he was starting from the southernmost section. The sandy beach he was standing upon would turn into a thick jungle as one heads north, eventually reaching some large landmass in the center that Vitali could barely identify. However, the most worrying, the most troubling, the most terrifying fact about the area he was currently in was not a property of the island. It was the fact that Gig had been dropped (literally this time) a few feet away, and he looked p***ed.

"DAMMIT!" roared the white-haired jerk with a heart of gold. "First those laughable grunts have the nerve to knock me out, and then they send me to this pile o' s**t without even asking for my permission! When I find out who in their right mind thinks they can do this to me and get away with it, I'll grind 'em to dust with my bare hands, mortal body or not!"

After the former Master of Death started to calm down a little, Vitali decided to approach him. The cleric's footsteps, nor his breath, made a single sound. "There, there, Gig; everyone knows that you can't always get what you want."

"GAH! How the hell do you keep doing that?!" Gig yelled as he turned around to face one of his old travelling 'partners'. "No, seriously; even in this pathetic body, I should still at _least_ sense that two-bit soul of yours."

"I doubt that this is the best time for a magician to reveal their tricks," Vitali replied. "So, what do you know about our current situation?"

"Just what I need to know: kill a bunch of pathetic morons, and get rich quick. Oh, and there's some kinda barrier around this island to prevent the prey…I mean, other contestants…from trying to escape their fate."

"Giving money to a man that tried to steal from them? Somehow, Gig, I feel that our fate is far worse then that," the cleric lamented, before starting to ponder about the situation. BORED was most certainly not a group created for the greater good, if they preferred having criminals kill each other rather than be put in jail. And if they weren't moral characters, it seemed likely that their ultimate fate would be to get shot in the face when it came time to collect…or, since he had heard that this island was supposedly uncharted, perhaps they'll just sink the whole place and leave all their self-incriminating evidence at the bottom of the sea.

Vitali strained his eyes in order to take a look at what lay in the distance. "It appears that there's a large mountain situated north of here…probably a volcano, but I can't be certain. They probably have set up their base somewhere near there, perhaps even inside, to take advantage of the thermal energy that would be required to hold the barrier up. Now, obviously, we wouldn't stand a chance if we headed in there right now; you're still a bit rusty, no matter how much you deny it, and my techniques focus more on stealth then on combat. But still, I think we would be much safer in the long run if we headed in that direction."

"…Meh, whatever. I was going to head there anyways; no better place to find some pathetic scum than in the center of the action!" Gig replied with enthusiasm. His stomach then growled, which led to him asking, "Hey, did ya remember to stuff a few hotpods in your pocket before they got us? I was planning to dine back at the hold-up, and I'm not exactly a 'twigs and berries' kind of eater."

"And I'm not exactly an 'up close and personal' kind of fighter. It doesn't look like either of us will have an easy time at this…but at least if we stick together, we might get out of this with our limbs intact. Now, we'd best hurry; I have no clue how long it is until sundown, but I'd prefer to find someplace safe to set up camp before that time comes," Vitali told him, before taking his first few steps into the island's jungles.

"…So, that's a 'no'? Dammit…" Gig muttered to himself, before realizing that Vitali was already departing. "Hey, where the hell do you think you're going without me?! You'd better wait up if you're planning on keeping both of those legs!"

And so began the journey of Vitali the Ethereal. Would he survive against the other fighters that he was bound to encounter? Would he be able to escape from the island before the corrupt corporate executives decided to turn a bad situation into a worse one? Would Gig just shut up about hotpods and help clear a dang path through the stupid jungle so they could find some shelter before sunset?! …Only time would tell.

* * *

**Author's Note:** There! About two months since Gig came into the picture, and I have now finally completed Vitali's entry. This entry is a bit different from the other one, for a couple reasons. Firstly, Gig's entry was mostly actions, and this was mostly conversation; I plan to balance between the two later. And secondly, this entry is about twice as long as Gig's; I decided to include what happens both before and after the arrival on the island so I could develop the characters a little better.

Vitali is...he's...well, in the game he came from, he only has two attacks: a team-up with the main character, and he can hit things with a book. So, this'll be a very tough character to write for in a survival setting. Wish me luck! ...Oh, and to Moonshine's Guide: I sincerely hope you don't mind that I borrowed your character for this. He just fit into the situation better than any random goon ever could.


	2. VS Cho Hakkai

**Author's Note:** Usually, I save these for the end, but there's a few things I want you, the viewers, to know.

1. Because a good friend of mine informed me that censoring almost every swear word is annoying to look at, the 'MAX Gigify' entry will be M-Rated if/when it's time for another fight scene with him. But, as this story isn't nearly as…sadistically-minded, it's going to remain T-Rated.

2. Canadian students finish their education in June, rather than late May. My final exam was on Friday, which I find a good enough reason for why I didn't even start typing this chapter until this weekend.

3. When I first heard of my opponent, Cho Hakkai, I said that writing this chapter would be difficult, as I had never played the game he was in before. Then, I read his entry piece, and realized that he was from an anime…and since the name Goku was mentioned, I almost foolishly thought (like a foolish fool) that he was from Dragonball Z. And now, even though I've FINALLY found out what series Hakkai comes from, I'll still probably mess this up really, really badly…

4. Have any of you ever played the DS game 'Avalon Code'? If so, a few friends and I are planning to co-write a story about what life might have been for the first person that wielded the Book of Prophecy. If you want to be a part of it, don't feel afraid to ask. However, it's recommended that you have beaten the game first, as there will certainly be a few spoilers…

5. My current page poll is about what kind of story I should start up next. So far, I've got about five votes. I was kinda hoping for more, though, so I thought I'd let wonderful readers such as yourselves get a chance to say a thing or two about my future in fanfiction fabrication.

6. This list is now six sections long. Do you think lists are fun? I think lists are fun. I'm zany like that.

7. Someone (probably the friend from list item #1) was wondering why I occasionally broke the fourth wall, having characters reference things like being censored and whatnot. While it's partly because I like writing the comedy this ensues, it's also because Medium Awareness of being inside a piece of fiction seems to be a trait of Nippon Ichi characters.

8. Did I forget to put a Disclaimer on Page 1? ...Meh; it's not like any of you think that I'm the true owner of any of these characters. I think I'd get a lot more reviews if that was the case, though...

Okay; now that the list's done, let's get the chapter started! I'll warn you, though; it's not all that exciting, mainly because it's hard to have an action-packed brawl between two White Mages…even if one's part demon, and the other a spy.

* * *

**Chapter 1: A TALE OF TWO CLERICS**

"So…are you SURE you didn't get a chance to stuff some hotpods down your pants before you got shipped off to this pile o' dirt? I'm freakin' STARVING over here!"

Vitali couldn't help but think what a pain this tournament would be. The fact that he had been forced to attend this death match because of a crime he didn't commit was only the icing on the cake. Now, he was stuck with Gig on an island with no escape. When he quit his job as a spy and went after his true passion of cooking, he had hoped to get away from these kinds of predicaments. But, when you happen to know a former Master of Death, that's rather hard to do.

…Where were we earlier? Oh, yeah; Gig was complaining about his hunger.

"As you've already told me. In fact, that's the fifteenth time you've told me in less than three minutes," Vitali told him. It had actually been the fifteenth time in a _single_ minute, but when dealing with a man like Gig, time seemed to slow down as to allow as much irritation as possible. "Gig, the purpose of this competition is 'survival'. Other than what we need to fend off any competitors, we're supposed to _earn_ whatever benefits we need to continue. Besides, as a chef, I am strictly opposed to unsanitary acts such as storing food inside of one's garments."

"You and your stupid ethics. Well then, guess it's time to take matters into my own hands," Gig said. The former demon then said he'd go to find something edible, and also to let him know if Vitali spotted Jade Curtiss again. Jade Curtiss was a fairly reasonable kind of character, and probably would have made a great acquaintance had he not been the one to zap Gig unconscious and drag them both to this island.

"Fine; I'll survey the nearby area and try to find a place for us to set camp," Vitali replied. Gig had rushed off in such a hurry that he must've only heard half of that sentence, but it didn't really matter to Vitali. Although he was a mature individual, and Gig's help would certainly be needed, it would be nice not to see him for a few minutes.

~!~!~

It had taken less than two minutes for Vitali to reach the westernmost edge of the island's southern tip. The elevation at his current location was at least a few feet higher than sea level. The cleric was hoping that the water had eroded a cavern of sorts into the rocks, which would provide as good shelter as long as the island wasn't heavily affected by high tide. That was one of the usually-looked implications when it came to barriers, magical or scientific. Would the water always be at the same level as the rest of the sea? And for that matter, was there only a limited amount of air? The cleric made a mental note to study such things further after finding out how to get off of this bloody island in one piece.

He was about to scale down the rock face to investigate further, when he heard sounds coming from below. Lying close to the ground, Vitali inched closer to the edge, and peered downwards into the waves below. There was a small ledge near the water's edge, and standing upon it appeared to be a young man with a green cloak. Vitali was not certain what this character was capable of, so he decided to remain silent and observe him for a long as physically pos-

"You can stop hiding now," the stranger announced. "While there are many on this island that wouldn't notice your espionage tactics, my senses are a tad higher than theirs, and thus, your efforts are waited. But, since it would be a shame for your efforts to be wasted, I'll share some information with you: all I'd like to do is leave this deserted landscape, reunite with my companions, and find a nice meal. What you do with that knowledge is up to you."

Vitali was a bit stunned at this. After years of practice, plus the fact that not even former demigod Gig could ever see him sneaking about, he had become used to not being spotted so abruptly. He briefly considered his options. The man didn't seem too threatening, but it could all be a ruse. However, there was a high probability that Vitali wasn't the only one who wanted to escape. Plus, if it wasn't this man that would steal his life, it was bound to be someone else. So, Vitali decided to take a chance and try to converse with the character.

"If I were a lesser man, I would have taken that chance to strike. However," the cleric said, as he climbed down to the ledge that the man was on, "I am certainly no lesser man. As I wish to escape this dreadful place as much as you seem to do, I think it would be best if we worked together rather than against each other. My name is Vitali. And yours is?"

"Cho Hakkai. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," the green-cloaked man uttered as he extended his hand. As Vitali reached out and shook it, he noticed a few more details about the character he had missed from afar. Most notably, there appeared to be some sort of mechanical apparatus in place of his right eye. For a second, Vitali had the urge to inquire about it, but declined; after all, if Mr. Hakkai had opted for such a device rather than a mere replacement eye, there must be some complicated story behind such a decision.

"So," Cho continued, "where shall we begin? I was hoping to find some shelter nearby, so perhaps we could search in tandem. Or, perhaps we should not worry about where we shall stay as much as where we shall go, and who we shall encounter along the way. But, no matter the case, we had best hurry; just the thought of remaining in this brutal competition makes my blood curdle."

"Indeed. What kind of savage, ruthless barbarian would even think of _supporting_ a competition like this, let along run it?"

~!~!~

Cut to Travis Touchdown, whose bike was formerly dented slightly, but has been repaired thanks to the technology at his outpost. The world's top-ranked assassin was sitting in front of a wall of monitors, much like the kind he'd seen in some of those retro sci-fi movies. His feet were propped up on a nearby table, and he held a can of soda pop in one hand. To your average man, it would appear that he seemed perfectly at home in this environment. The average man would be correct.

As Travis watched the screens, he noticed something peculiar happening on one of them, and decided to use a nearby phone to inform B.O.R.E.D.'s main men about it. "Hey, HQ! Check out the feed from camera 63! It looks like two of our more pacifistic fighters have somehow bumped into each other. Now, this might be just me, but I don't think the fans are going to like some kind of alliance this early on. That…spacey guy with the weird last name? Cee-bah-oth or something? If he REALLY can mess with people's minds from afar, get him to do something about this."

As Travis hung up the phone, he could hear a beeping sound coming from behind him. At first, he was worried that he had been lied to, and that another nameless goon was about to use an explosive device in order to claim his title as #1 assassin. Then he realized that he was microwaving popcorn, and decided to quickly get out of his seat and grab a bowl.

~!~!~

Back with the two medicine men, they were now experiencing slight headaches. This was due to HQ relaying Travis' message to C'Baoth, and the Force-user focusing on their particular area. However, of the two, Vitali was having an easier time trying to stay focused. While neither of them was above the powers that were trying to influence their actions, Cho had been in far more scraps than the other medic, and thus the concept of fighting for survival was not as foreign an idea.

"Ugh…something doesn't feel right…my youkai blood is…is…AUGH!" Cho burst as he held his head in anguish. Vitali could only watch as the other man changed before his eyes. No longer did he have that look of class, of intelligence, of kindness; his eyes were not akin to that of a beast most feral. And though his body never changed, his stance was far tenser than it was before. To make a long description short, Vitali was now in deep s**t.

"…'Youkai'? I don't think I've heard that term before. Would you mind explaining what it-" Vitali uttered, but stopped short when he noticed that one of Mr. Hakkai's hands was now aglow. Fearing that an attack was about to be made, Vitali ducked, just in time for a blast of energy to soar over his head.

"Shut up, traitor to humanity! My heightened senses smell the scent of a demon on you, and I shall not allow those that associate themselves with evil to go unpunished!" Cho shouted, in a brash tone, as he attempted to swing his fist at Vitali. However, the latter of the two reflexively dodged to the side before he could get hit. Without something to impact, and thus stop the forward force, Cho lost his footing and tripped forward. As some of you may remember, both competitors were still on a small ledge on the side of a rock wall. Thus, when Cho fell, it was off of the ledge and into the ocean below. Not the best way to end a fight, but it was satisfactory enough for Vitali.

Now, if this was a fight between Cho and a less heroic character, this would be where the chapter draws to a close. However, Vitali had a feeling that Cho's abrupt transformation was not on purpose, and felt the urge to try and help the man before his soul was claimed by the sea. So, he decided to dive into the ocean and try to save him. This completely foolish and un-Vitali-like behavior could be attributed to trying to negate the influence of the Force, but for whatever the reason, the cleric was soon in the water, trying to grab a hold of the other cleric before he drowned.

Skipping ahead by a few minutes, Vitali is now on the southern beach he began this adventure on. But now, instead of travelling first-class by flying machine, he and Cho had unceremoniously washed up on shore. While the worst thing about Vitali's current state was that he was soggy, the man with the mechanical eye was certainly in a less healthy state.

"He's in a state of shock," Vitali noted. "His blood is still pumping, and he's subconsciously breathing…but he's otherwise paralyzed. I could try to use my magical abilities to speed the healing process, but at this moment, I'd be putting both of us in risk. Best to find cover before I try anything."

Deciding that the best course of action would be to try and reunite with Gig, who could provide cover while the curative arts were being used, Vitali attempted to carry Cho Hakkai over his shoulder and into the nearby jungle. When he found out that Cho was a bit heavier than he expected, though, Vitali resorted to just dragging him by his legs. Either way, Vitali was now at the end of his first battle…and, depending on how the future plays out, at the beginning of his first alliance with a man not of his home world.

**End of Chapter 1**


	3. VS Membrane

**Author's Note:** Y'know, I should probably drop out of this tournament. After all, I'm not exactly the best when it comes to this sort of thing; I've hardly any experience at combat, and when it comes to deadlines…well, I didn't even start writing this until 1:06 AM on the 27th (for anyone who didn't know, this chapter was due by midnight on the 27th if I didn't want it disqualified). And honestly, what chances do I have at winning against seasoned veterans?

…Wait; what am I saying?! I can't do a silly thing like that! I made a commitment to this project, and by golly, I'm going to keep at it! For the sake of underdogs everywhere, I shall not throw in the towel; I'll keep giving my all until there's nothing left to give! FOR THE GLORY OF…somewhere important!

(P.S.: Here's another important message for those not following the tournament as it progresses. Remember in the last chapter, where Vitali fought Cho Hakkai? …That didn't happen. Just go to the official "A Winner Is Two!" board so I can save myself from typing a paragraph of explanation.)

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 2: A Case of Malpractice**

"Hmm…how fascinating. This may require further study at some point."

This scenario begins with our titular protagonist, Vitali the Ethereal. The cleric has just walked away from an encounter with a man by the name of Cho Hakkai; an enigmatic fellow with a rather noticeable monacle…or has he? For you see, Vitali's current grasp on the surroundings is…a tad different, to say the least.

For a moment, he had thought that events had played out quite differently; that he had met Cho on the side of a cliff over the ocean, and had almost drowned trying to save him. But now, different memories were now in his head, showing his part in a stealthy battle that involved a heck of a lot of rocks. It was as if two different possible situations in two separate dimensions were competing like gladiators, ending in one's supreme dominance and the other being erased from destiny utterly and completely…said battle possibly occurring in front of a panel of three judges.

Vitali's insane train of thought on the matter was interrupted when he heard a loud explosion coming from nearby. After encountering Cho, he had decided to follow a nearby river upstream, still searching for shelter before the sun set. Apparently, his continued effort was not in vain; up ahead, Vitali could see a small cavern of sorts, a trail of smoke rising out of it. The cleric chose that moment to think of the positives and negatives of further investigation. On one hand, the explosion signified that the area was already inhabited by something, or someone, that could pose serious harm to him and/or Gig. On the other, the location had fresh running water, and cover from nearly any sort of precipitation. Plus, the character might be of the non-life-threatening sort, such as Cho…and if not, he could always heal himself, and then let Gig knock the person out before any serious harm came to them.

Deciding that he should inspect the cause of the explosion more closely, Vitali walked towards the entrance of the shelter. However, on the way, he stepped on a twig; the surprisingly loud snapping sound was all it took to cause a major commotion. In seconds, a man in a labcoat ran out, his expression akin to that of a complete madman's. And, Vitali noted, he also had the weirdest haircut ever.

"WHO DARES DISTURB THE LAB OF THE WORLD FAMOUS PROFESSOR MEMBRANE?!" the man in the labcoat boomed. "…Well, it's not really my lab; it's just a replacement until I can find the men that brought me here. And I doubt I'm famous in this part of the world, else you would have already heard that I was here, and thus have stayed away from my world-saving scientific exploits. And that rather loud sound of a small piece of wood being split by your shoe was a slight annoyance at best. But honestly, I doubt that a civilian like you would have felt any less awestruck if I had said 'who dares to slightly annoy the temporary replacement lab of the nearly-world-famous Professor Membrane'? …Come to think of it, that sentence isn't even grammatically correct…"

For a moment, Vitali was speechless. Firstly, the 'professor' had managed to charge out before Vitali could even find a suitable hiding place; unless one was trained for stealth and/or adventure, such as himself, most people did not have such a significant reaction time. Secondly, this fellow was quite…mad. And not just in the angry sense, if his recent speech was any indication. However, Vitali decided to take the moral high ground and act polite; having a psychotic character on your good side was very beneficial, if Gig was any proof.

"Greetings, professor. My name is Vitali, and I have come seeking shelter for myself and a friend of mine. Do you think it would be possible if-"

"NO! I can't let my theorem of the vernacular properties of atoms travelling through the time-space continuum fall into the hands of others! Everything in this lab is of high scientific value, and I intend not to let it get utterly annihilated by the actions of lesser minds! Which is to say, everyone, really."

"That seems like a difficult challenge, doesn't it? What with all of the other contestants walking around the island, as eager for shelter as I am, but with less couth ways of trying to obtain this domicile?"

"…Contestants? No clue what you're talking about," Prof. Membrane replied, honestly having no clue on the true reason he was on the island. "Now, if you excuse me, I left some isotopes near the fireplace. I don't know if you're aware of just what happens when they get overheated, but I doubt you missed the explosion earlier, so feel free to put two and two together."

"...Isotopes?"

"Never leave the laboratory without them! Now, if you excuse me, I must move those isotopes before it's too late, followed by finishing my theory on how Beethoven was NOT an alien spy, like one of my child units insists. After that, I think I'll roast marshmallows…FOR SCIENCE!"

Deciding to get away from the lunatic until a more opportune moment arrived, Vitali began to leave. Seconds later, he heard another explosion, and felt a powerful blow hit him in the back. Five seconds later, Vitali found himself at the bottom of a small hill, his face covered in mud, his cloak soaked, and a charred Professor Membrane on his back. Apparently, the isotopes had not been removed in time, causing the shelter to act like an overly large cannon, with Membrane as the ammo. One five-second-long tumble into the river later and "Bob's your uncle", as the saying goes.

It didn't take long for Vitali to free himself from his position, and to wipe the mud off of his face. But now, he was faced with a different dilemma: should he abandon the man to the wild, or try to assist him? The second choice wouldn't break his code of ethics, but it would leave him vulnerable to attack, both from outside elements and from Membrane himself. If he was going to help the man, he would need a bit of assistance…

~!~!~

Just as expected, Gig was in the same place where they had parted earlier. And, lucky for Vitali, the maniac was once again blissfully unaware of his presence.

"As neither of us knows a man named Godot, I assume you're waiting for me," Vitali whispered. Gig jumped up in shock and turned around; the exact reaction that the cleric was hoping for. He may not have been of much help in Revya's quest, and he most certainly would not last long in this competition in his current state, but Vitali still felt proud that he could scare even the Grim Reaper.

"Holy shit, you've GOT to stop doing that!" Gig shouted in exasperation. "…Wait, what was that about some maggot named Godot?"

"There's a famous play called 'Waiting for Godot'…though, in hindsight, I shouldn't have expected you to understand that reference. But right now, that hardly…why are you wearing that odd chapeau?" Vitali asked, just now noticing the object upon Gig's head. It appeared to be a cap, much like the kind one would wear to a sporting activity. Imprinted on the hat appeared to be a yellow 'L', except that it was printed incorrectly. There was no doubt in Vitali's mind that Gig must have won it off of another competitor, but it was hard to fathom that anyone would pay good money for such a piece of apparel.

"It's called a 'hat', dimshit. Part of the spoils I got after utterly slaughtering my first victim…speaking of which, I also won this-"

"Oh, never mind that. As I was trying to tell you earlier, I have grander concerns at the moment. For you see, while we were separated, I managed to find some shelter for us. Cutting to the heart of the matter…a term which you should undoubtedly like…somebody already inhabits that particular location," Vitali told his comrade. He decided to skip the embarrassing parts, as they would only convince Gig not to lend a hand. "And as I my previous encounter with another survivalist didn't go too well…I'll elaborate on that later…"

"Let me guess; you're asking this bad-ass motherfucking killer of kings to slaughter 'im for you, since you're just a pansy that couldn't even kill a mosquito if one landed on your arm. Don't worry; this'll be over in five-"

"Actually, the fellow is already severely wounded. If I healed him, we would not only get a place to stay, but possibly some assistance as well. I just wanted you to stand outside and guard the entrance, so I'm not attacked from behind."

"…That's fucking lame," Gig said with a sigh. "Oh, well. S'not like any other scumbags are just going to waltz up towards me and pick a fight anytime soon; that'd be way too easy. All right, chef boy; just lead the way."

"Gladly. It's only a few miles…" Vitali instructed, until he felt something cold pressing against his back. At first, he had thought that Gig had regained his scythe; while that might seem like a good thing to most, Vitali was absolutely terrified, as there was no telling how much destruction his ally would reap with it. However, when the cleric turned around, he found that Gig was merely pressing a golf club up to his back.

"Here. Thought that you might need something to avoid getting your ass kicked again," Gig said, deciding for himself what must've happened in the cleric's earlier-mentioned encounter. "After all, unless I get my powers back sometime soon, you're the only source of recovery I have access to…by the way, could you give me a check-up once we reach that place you were talkin' about? I think that explosion-proof tree gave me a sliver…"

~!~!~

Later, Vitali returned to Professor Membrane's temporary lab, where he had stuck the professor while going to fetch Gig. Now that he was safe from other challengers interrupting his techniques, Vitali began to use his curative abilities on the man. It took a long time, mostly due to the man's body structure not being as accepting of mana as those in Vitali's world, but the man was making progress.

Soon, Membrane was well enough to, at the very least, regain consciousness and open his eyes. He found that he was back in his temporary laboratory, lying on the floor, still covered in ash. And standing nearby was the man from earlier, who appeared to be…chanting a spell? For a man who had spent his entire life proving what were and weren't the absolute laws of the universe, the sight of the civilian from earlier having a green aura around his hands was a startling sight…

…No; not 'civilian'…

…'Specimen'.

Proclaiming "FOR SCIENCE!" at the top of his lungs, Professor Membrane immediately leapt off of the floor, turned around, and lunged at Vitali. Soon, Vitali was the one with his back on the ground, the professor pinning him there. "You appear to be more interesting than I first thought, civilian! Much, much more! And I just can't walk away from something so fascinating without performing a few…_experiments_ on the matter."

Not exactly liking the way the word 'experiments' was put, Vitali kicked Membrane off of him; an act that was possible due to both combatants being almost equally pathetic in fighting situations. Membrane hit the floor and rolled backwards, which was soon followed by leaping towards Vitali once more. However, the cleric just rolled to the side, causing the professor to fly forwards into a wall.

"I guess that, where you come from, there's no such thing as a good deed that goes unpunished," the cleric said as he stood up, a bit peeved. After all, it was one thing to be attacked by the man you were healing; it was another thing if the attacker implied a dissection in the immediate future. As he saw Membrane return to his feet, Vitali figured that it was time to demonstrate the true power of the abilities that Membrane was now willing to kill to learn more about.

"Pesky little homo sapien, aren't you?" Prof. Membrane rhetorically asked as he stood up himself. He thought he could hear the words 'Dust Tornado', but the gale of wind that hit him seconds afterwards took his focus away from what exactly had been said. "Fascinating! The ability to harness air currents in a fashion as to repel and injure predators! But, can it stand up to the power of science? Let me answer that for you…NOTHING TRUMPS SCIENCE!"

Membrane reached into his labcoat, and pulled out a vial of…liquid stuff. Sorry, folks, but your own imaginations could do a much better job of describing mysterious substances than I ever could. The scientist pulled out the stopper from the vial and threw its contents in Vitali's direction. The liquid reacted a few seconds after it made contact with the air, causing what was left of Vitali's wind spell to solidify, fall, and shatter upon the ground.

"Aha! Do you see now that the scientific artes are superior to whatever 'magick' you must rely on? Now, if you'll submit to the force which will obviously lead mankind into a wonderful future, I'll gladly-" Membrane attempted to say. However, he was interrupted when Vitali decided to go with Plan B: hit the man repeatedly with the golf club until he either surrendered or died. It was a simple plan, but those usually turned out to work out rather well. Sure enough, without a formula at hand that had corrosive qualities, Membrane soon gave up.

"I shall not forget this, vile opposition of all natural laws! One day, you shall be mine, FOR SCIENCE!" Professor Membrane shouted, dashing out of the shelter. Membrane hadn't had time to unpack most of his supplies, so the only stuff he was truly leaving behind was a hideaway, the remains of a campfire, and a few non-radioactive isotopes in the air. Not much, from his point of view, but the loss still stung. And he swore, no matter what, he'd get his revenge in due time.

~!~!~

A few minutes later, Gig entered the cavern, some new bloodstains on his shirt. "Hey, chef boy. I noticed some kinda weird doctor run outta the cave in a huff while I was dealing with a mutated cat with superpowers…it makes sense in context, I swear. Anyways, was he that guy you were referring to earlier? 'Cause if it is, dude takes 'ingratitude' to new levels."

"Why, yes, it was," Vitali replied, as he finished mending his wounds. The fight had taken too much of his power for another healing spell, so he had decided to cover up the wounds until his energy recharged. "But, it's a trivial matter. We have shelter, and as cold as I may seem for saying it, I doubt a man like him could survive for long in this environment. Especially since it appeared that he was unaware of the survivalist competition."

"Man, and I thought WE were screwed over," Gig muttered, as he took a seat by Vitali. "At least we're slowly getting an edge. We've got all of the basics covered now: shelter, rations, and stuff we can make into other stuff. And as far as combat goes, I've just found out how to reawaken my powers; nobody else will stand a damn chance! I swear, we'll be out of here in no time!"

"Perhaps," Vitali muttered, looking at his arm. Unlike earlier, when Gig had pushed that golf club into him, he was glad to hear talk about Gig's power. Before, it seemed like it would cost too many innocent lives. But now, relying on Gig might be the only way that the cleric could escape with his life. While there would be those like Cho that didn't deserve it, there would be those like Membrane who did, and would kill them in an instant if they had a chance. As a cleric…heck, just as a human being…that was a dark thought indeed. But as a contestant…perhaps, sad as it is, violence would be the only answer.

…Then again, this was only theorizing that Gig was still the 'kill-everything-in-sight' kind of character. If he-

"Hey, Vitali?" Gig asked, breaking Vitali's train of thought. "You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?"

"...May I ask why you just said that?"

"Dunno; just felt like it. Besides, you were brooding; nothing good ever comes from brooding. Just sit back, relax, and let me handle things, all right?"

"…All right," Vitali replied, realizing that he was overanalyzing things. It would be best to just go with the flow, and take each development one at a time.

**CHAPTER 2: END**

* * *

**Author's Note, Part 2: **First off, yes, another chapter with lame fighting and too much exposition. Turns out that, no matter how lousy I am in combat, I'm always worse when I have to use a character with little/no actual fighting experience. And secondly, I owe you, my dear fans, an extra bonus chapter. I was planning to have both this and my 'Gig' entry alternate between a fight and a bonus. As I slacked off too long, expect said Vitali bonus in the near future…unless I forget about it. In which case, expect it in the late future. Seeya!

(P.S.: …Do you prefer Author Notes at the beginning, at the end, or spread out between the two? Just thought I'd ask.)


	4. Bonus 1: Funeral of Gig

**Author's Note: **This bonus chapter (Vitali's first, by the way) deals with the aftermath to Gig's fight against Ban. If you haven't been reading the forums, I lost that match-up, and my opponent's entry won. And unlike the time Vitali lost, Gig is now dead.

…Yeah, that's all I've got for an A.N. My reason for the short intro? When I was writing it, I was suffering from illness. NOT H1N1, for the record; twas tonsilitis that did me in. Thankfully, all I had to do was take antibiotics; no operation was necessary. By the way, if the content of this chapter and/or the next chapter turns out to be of lower quality than my usual stuff, the same excuse applies.

**

* * *

**

**Bonus Chapter #1: To Be a Murderer, or Not to Be…**

It happened again.

Vitali's head was spinning, his focus fading in and out. He had felt this sensation once before, after the battle against Cho. His memories were conflicting, one chain of events being superimposed upon another. For mere moments, Vitali wondered if his earlier dream was true: a dimensional rift, with multiple different outcomes, and only the whimsy of a higher power deciding which one would remain existent. Was such a thing possible? Perhaps Vitali would never know, even with all of the skills in medicine and mind that he would ever learn. But one thing was clear: whether it was destiny or not, Gig the Master of Death of an entire dimension, was now deceased.

For only a brief few seconds longer, Vitali thought that he had just left Gig in their cave while he went to gather medicinal herbs and dry firewood. Those blissful memories faded away, replaced by others, starting with Gig ordering to scavenge for survival materials (and grub) alongside him. Then, there came images of a strange boy, a bloody fight, and the death of his comrade. His parting words with the murderer were now vivid in his memory, and threatening to corrupt his very soul…

_~!~!~_

_The urchin-haired, bespectacled man took out a cigarette and began to smoke it, savouring the boost given from a bit of nicotine. He then adjusted his glasses, and turned towards Vitali. "What was his name? I didn't get the chance to ask," the murderer uttered. It was probably wrong to refer to this man as a murderer, as every man, woman, and child on this island had been requested by B.O.R.E.D. to either assassinate everyone or die trying. But even the emotionally collected Vitali could not view the man in an unbiased life so soon after the death of a man he had spent great time with._

"_Gig. His name was…Gig," Vitali answered. If nothing else, he should at least dignify the character with an honest response. The cleric's mind was becoming hazy, wondering whether or not it was time to draw the line between the man he was, and the man that B.O.R.E.D. wanted him to become. He had sworn that he would try and go through his little twist of fate while remaining true to his morals, not wanting to lower himself to the level of the brutes he would be forced to fight against…or worse, the level of those that had caused this whole affair. A large part of him wanted to escape this island as soon as possible, without having to bloody his hands, and perhaps even saving a few good people. But now, after witnessing that display of madman versus psychopath, Gig versus the stranger, and realising just how little they cared about the rest of humanity, part of him just wanted-_

"_So, you after some revenge?"_

_Vitali was startled, not merely by the sudden interruption, but because of what he had said. It was as though the man had read his mind; a difficult thing to do, as the cleric was trained in the art of keeping a straight face at all times. But, the healer stopped to think about the remark…and soon realised that, whether he planned to save the contestants or show them his own brand of justice, he would only fail. If he tried to save the people stranded here, there would be those like the murderer and Gig that would prefer to slash his throat. If he gave in to his feelings of hate and tried to fight his way out of this mess, not only did he lack the physical strength, but also, there would be those such as Cho that he would be somewhat attached to and couldn't bare to see go._

"_No. I couldn't beat you now if I wanted to. Gig…he chose poorly. Do as you will," Vitali told the man, as the healer turned and walked away from the corpse of the killer of kings and destroyer of worlds. In all honesty, he expected to be quickly slaughtered as well. Without Gig, Vitali's only ally from his home dimension, the man that would've take care of all the other maniacs on this blasted island for him, Vitali just couldn't picture himself surviving much longer anyways. To paraphrase what one man once said, 'Sometimes, the only winning move is to refuse to play'._

_However, the murderer did no such thing. Instead of going after him and taking his life, the urchin-haired man merely shouted a few words in his direction, and then walked away from the scene as well. "My name's Midou Ban. Come looking for me if ya change your mind."_

_~!~!~_

It was now the morning after the event. During the night, Vitali had denied the entire experience, trying to erase the horrible imagery from his psyche. But, he was compelled to return to where it had all happened, and there it was: Gig's body, very slightly decomposed, in the same awful, rain-drenched state it had been left in. At first, the sight was too much for the cleric; the force from the repressed memories coming back would have sent a weaker man into hysteria. But Vitali had been in this situation before…poor Endorph, poor Levin…and knew that no man could live forever. Now that he had replayed the events over in his mind, Vitali was now somewhat more capable of handling the situation.

First off, he would bury the body. It just didn't seem right to leave it out in the open like it was. The storm yesterday had created a very deep ditch nearby; while crude, it would save him the difficulty of digging a hole from scratch. The cleric placed the body into the ditch, said a few words of faith, and then used the remains of the golf club to whack the sides of the ditch. This caused the ditch to collapse, and thankfully, Gig was now buried deep enough for Vitali to be at peace with himself. Briefly, Vitali wondered about the possibility of revival; Gig had given up his very spirit many times before, and when it had healed, it always managed to return to its original vessel. The cleric dismissed this thought with the realization that, even if Gig's soul could've returned to the body, the considerable decrease in magical energy between here and their homeland wouldn't have been enough to restore it.

Finding a flower of sorts growing nearby, Vitali uprooted it and replanted it over the impromptu grave. The hat that used to belong to Waluigi, which had fallen off while Vitali moved the body, was placed beside the plant. As the only thing to use for a tombstone was wood, which would be better used to provide heat at night, Vitali decided he had done all he could do. It was time to walk away, and carve his own path in life. But, before he departed once and for all from the site of his comrade's death, the ethereal cleric muttered a few, final, heartfelt words.

"Alas, poor Gig; I knew thee well."

**END OF BONUS #1**

**

* * *

**

**A.N. #2:** I've decided to play around a bit with Vitali's character, as he can no longer be the straight man to Gig's absurdity. Specifically, I'm going to go for a 'Hamlet' vibe: a man who thinks a lot about his actions, but rarely follows through with the vicious ones. I know I've been forgetting to review the entries of the other authors in this tourney, but if any of you have any opinions on this matter, please feel free to let me know.

By the way, that italicized flashback scene? All the dialogue was taken straight from Khellen's entry (Khellen being (part of) the name of the author that killed off Gig). I merely elaborated on how Vitali witnessed it.


	5. Bonus 2: Red Alliance

**Author's Note:** Does anyone remember Gig's first entry? The one where he defeated Waluigi, and stole a multitude of items from his corpse? Well, the author controlling the plumber way back then was Gambit, who has since improved his skills by…I'd say a tenfold, though it's hard to judge how well one writes in terms of numerical amounts. Anyways, as at least half of the tournament's contestants have been slaughtered by now, we decided to have our characters come together and form this contest's very first alliance! And this bonus chapter has been created to cement said bond!

**

* * *

**

Bonus Chapter #2: Gotta Save 'Em All

How long had it been since Gig's passing? To Vitali, it still felt like yesterday. Then again, it felt like acquiring a base of operations from a nutty professor took place two days ago, and his encounter with Cho somewhat before that. For all the cleric knew, he could've been on this island for months by now, perhaps even half a year. On this island, time seemed to last forever, and certainly not in the good way.

Vitali had opted not to stray too far from his base of operations. Shelter was too valuable to lose, and the familiar terrain would certainly give him an advantage if another contestant picked a fight with him. The downside to this choice was that, if many other contestants had made a similar decision, they could all be on this island indefinitely. Or worse, those men from B.O.R.E.D. that brought them here against their will would try to assert their control over the situation, which couldn't possibly end well.

The cleric was currently using his wind magic to slice off some branches from nearby trees. It took a while, partly due to foliage on this island being unnaturally strong and partly due to his preference to the magic of healing rather than offence. He was certainly improving, especially since he had begun to train harder after the death of his friend. He'd even spent a good deal of time using the bloody metal golf club, even after its recent battles and exposure to the elements, and even though the cleric had poor physical strength to speak of. If he was going to survive, and help other innocent victims of B.O.R.E.D. survive as well, he'd need to prepare for anything.

Innocent victims…Vitali pondered how much of that was true. Certainly, men with a passion for death and destruction did exist on this island; Gig and Ban were proof enough of that. But he was a cleric, his previous opponent a scientist, and the man before that a scholar of sorts; how did they belong in a competition of criminals? Come to think of it, there were a few odd things about this whole mess. The island was made of supernaturally hard plants and minerals, and the prize money was an obvious trap. Plus, Jade had told him that his friends and family could watch him compete if they had suitable methods of receiving the broadcast…if this was being televised, wouldn't B.O.R.E.D. have been arrested by now for organising a public display of cruelty, if nothing else? And if major B.O.R.E.D. employees were based in the volcano at the island's core, which was a suspicion that was practically confirmed after spying on a few goons guarding the area, for what possible reason would they choose to stay right in the middle of this clusterf-

"…Silver? Yeah, I know where it is…"

…Interrupted in the middle of one of his trains of thought, again? This was becoming a running gag.

Curious as to where the moaning was coming from, Vitali headed towards the source. The cleric soon came upon a small clearing, and in plain sight was a teenager with a bleeding arm and leg. He had fallen unconscious, and if what he was uttering was any indication, his life was passing before his eyes. After taking a few seconds to judge the situation, Vitali decided that it would be safe to follow his conscience and heal the boy; if the area was still dangerous, his new patient would've been even worse off.

As he approached the fallen body, Vitali examined the kid more closely. His hat and shirt were of a scarlet colouration, though the shade was light enough that it was clear they weren't merely blood-soaked. His backpack looked a bit worn-out, suggesting repeated use, which in turn suggested that the boy was a traveller of sorts. The objects around the boy's waist were the most curious thing about him, though. There were at least six similar orbs, half-red, half-white in colour. What could possibly be in them, and were they the secret to how the boy had survived thus far?

Another moan came from the boy, turning Vitali's attention away from the objects and towards his face. It was a matter of seconds until he opened his eyes, and gave a shocked expression; perfectly understandable, as this island was full of danger. It would be best to explain his actions, before the boy acted like that mad Dr. Membrane and tried to attack his rescuer.

"I apologize; I was simply wondering if you wanted any assistance," Vitali said, pointing at the boy's bloody appendages for emphasis. He then noticed that the boy was much more interested in the golf club he still held, and quickly added, "Don't worry; I'm not as much as a killer as my late companion. My name is Vitali; I'm a healer."

For a quick second, Vitali wanted to kick himself. He'd just revealed four important facts to a complete stranger: his name, his lack of killer instinct, Gig's death, and the fact that he was better at curing wounds than creating them. In a more frenzied scenario, that would be all that an opponent would need to make quick work of his life. Perhaps he just couldn't help himself, having nobody to talk to about his grief for such a lengthy period of time? Regardless, the kid couldn't possibly use that knowledge to hurt him in his current state.

Deciding to just stop over thinking about the consequences and to get this over with, Vitali quickly used his natural talents to mend the boy's wounds. The boy gave him thanks, and then attempted to stand back up on his own two feet. After doing so, he grinned at the cleric. Vitali knew that his fears were not to be realized; the smile he received now was not that of a madman, but of an ordinary person who truly appreciated what he had done.

The boy then pulled something from his backpack; they appeared to be bottles of perfume, though why a boy would hold such things was curious. He then sprayed the mixture inside the bottles onto the mysterious balls hooked upon his waist. The boy gave him a sly grin; was his curiosity that obvious?

"These are my Pokemon," the boy said. Of course, Vitali had absolutely no clue what that meant, so he elaborated. "They're animals with special powers that fight for me. Here, try it out! Just say, 'Come on out, Espeon!'"

The boy then tossed Vitali one of the orbs that were on his belt. Was this kid very trusting of others, or naïve as to what kind of people were on this island? …Then again, having confidence in a man that saved your life wasn't an unusual concept. But what if the ball was a trap? …Vitali reminded himself that he chose to save the kid's life, and now was a bad time to start being untrustworthy.

"Interesting…come on out, Espeon." Vitali said, trying to copy what the teenager had told him to say. The sphere opened up in a flash of red light, and a red beam shot out from it. It hit the ground, and the silhouette of a large, cat-like creature appeared. The light then faded away, revealing a large, purple, multi-tailed creature with a red gem in the middle of its forehead. The beast looked at Vitali curiously, and then began to purr; it obviously sensed that the cleric meant no harm towards it.

Vitali then glanced back up at the teenager, and saw that he had a happy look upon his face. The boy was probably ecstatic; while the cleric had been with Gig for most of this mayhem, this boy probably hadn't seen a single friendly face until now. Vitali's mind began to wander, thinking about the state he found the boy in, and what could've happened to him if he didn't arrive and heal his wounds. And then, the ethereal cleric reached a conclusion: this boy, even with his beasts, probably wouldn't survive for much longer. And even with his recent training, the cleric's own chances of survival were slim. But, if they were to work together towards a common goal…

"…An interesting creature. Perhaps I could use one of them later," Vitali said as he returned the 'Espeon' to the ball and tossed it back to the teenager, slightly alluding to what he would say next in the process. "However, I have an offer for you, my young friend. I was thinking of starting an alliance."

The teenager looked just like Gig in a hotpod field. The boy grinned as he leapt up, wrapped an arm around Vitali, and gave another big grin at the cleric. "Sure, my name's Red, Red and Vitali! With your healing and my Pokemon, nobody could stop us! And you can use Espeon if you want; he knows Mud-Slap, Swift, Reflect and Psychic!"

"…Okay." Vitali said, a bit uncomfortable at Red's close contact. "I have some shelter nearby; we can talk about things further once we're safe inside."

~!~!~

It took a few minutes for Vitali to get over the fact that his new ally was much peppier than Gig had ever been. Once the initial shock was over, he learned a lot about the teenager. Apparently, like most of the other so-called 'criminals' that men like Jade had dragged to this island, Red was a well-respected heroic figure back in his home dimension. He travelled across his home continent to different gyms, challenging people known as 'Pokemon Masters' for fame and prizes, while battling fiendish groups such as 'Team Rocket' along the way. In fact, he'd gone as far as fighting and winning against the Rocket leader, and defeating the five greatest Pokemon Masters (referred to as the 'Elite Four' plus one Grand Champion) from his homeland. And, just like many other people Vitali had met thus far, Red wanted nothing more than to get off of this island, prize money or not.

The two contestants were currently in front of Vitali's shelter. Red had unleashed the five Pokemon he was still keeping a hold of, making sure that the 'Potions' he had used earlier had worked. "So, Vitali, what're we going to do first, now that we're unstoppable?" Red asked, with a grin on his face.

"Firstly, nothing is unstoppable; the death of the grim reaper taught me that," Vitali replied, while examining the Pokeball that he now owned. He tried to sound light-hearted towards Red, but his stoic nature was still evident. "Secondly, as our given choices appear to be 'wait to be killed' or 'eventually have to kill each other and anyone else we like', I suggest we make our own choice. We know that the forces keeping us trapped upon this island have locked themselves up in the volcano. Thus, if we can get into the volcano lair, we can escape. So, if we can get past those guards…"

"It's gonna take more then that," Red interrupted. "Espeon's psychic, so I've had her read the minds of some guards before. Apparently, we're also going to need a key card. The most important places won't be accessible without a high-grade key card, and the highest we can obtain without infiltrating the base belong to extremely skilled fighters known as 'Enforcers'. But I'm certain we can take one on and win!"

Red then headed into the nearby woods with his Pokemon to look for enough food to feed everyone. After he left, Vitali muttered, "For the sake of many, many lives, we'll have to."

**End of Bonus #2**

* * *

**A.N. #2:** That's right; Gambit and I are planning to take on the big leagues. Personally, I believe that the most dangerous Enforcer in this tournament is…Jade Curtis. Aside from his legendary offensive magic, my mind is utterly convinced that everything from the overly durable trees to the sheer number of goons working for B.O.R.E.D. can somehow be attributed to him. Plus, the reason he's a member of B.O.R.E.D. isn't yet known, and considering that this 'Tales of the Abyss' **protagonist** (very snarky playable character, at least) is trusted enough to manage the entire island's communications and other technologies…


	6. Vitali and Red VS Jiraiya

**A/N:** Originally, I was going to begin this chapter with an apology to everyone, since it was submitted much later than I had planned. But, it took up too much space, and would be irrelevant after a short amount of time. So, instead, I'm going to state that I own none of the characters presented in this fic, that I have indeed inserted and edited some dialogue found in chapters involving Vitali (as I did for the previous two chapters), and that all I really remembered about Jiraiya when I began typing this were facts all established in his introduction in the magna. Also, though it has nothing to do with the rest of this chapter, I'd like to state that Liam O'Brien rocks. That is all.

---

**Battle #3: One Froggy Evening**

Vitali's plans had been going well since the day he allied with Red. Using Espeon to read the minds of some minions situated around the base, and having Red's Pikachu scout out the area using its high agility, the duo had a basic idea on what they needed to do in order to access the volcanic lair. Of course, Vitali remembered what Red had said the night they first formed their alliance; that this information would be utterly useless until they had defeated an Enforcer. So, they planned to seek one out today, right after Red came back from fishing; it was a bad idea to fight without energy from a well-balanced meal, after all. Of course, the plan pretty much hinged on nothing unexpected happening to Red on the way back to their cavernous base. But they'd spent the last few days or so gathering supplies and performing espionage without interruption, so what were the chances of that?

…Vitali quickly wished he hadn't thought those words. After all, it was practically one of the most well-known ways to utterly jinx one's plans for the day. Then again, such travesty only happened in the work of fiction…and even if trouble _did_ arise, what's the worst that could possibly-

The cleric's thoughts were interrupted by a giant tongue reaching into the cave, latching onto him, and pulling him out. Vitali took a good look at the giant-sized intruder who had him in it slimy grip. It appeared that his next opponent would be a giant frog, wearing a large robe, and wielding a shield and…a very odd sort of weapon. Vitali vaguely remembered something like it during his studies in medieval warfare techniques, back when his espionage techniques were less personal and more military. He believed it was called a 'sasumata'…a very odd weapon, especially compared to the more traditional swords and lances. Then again, it was being wielded by a large frog on an island owned by a sadistic company, so he should've been used to accepting such odd things off the bat instead of overanalyzing things and getting distr-

Before that thought could be finished, the saliva on the frog's tongue loosened Vitali enough for the cleric to slip out of its tongue and fall to the ground, head-first. Having his thought interrupted twice in a row caused the cleric to become very annoyed with this new predicament, even if the second time wasn't on purpose.

"Pardon me," the spit-coated Vitali said to the strange creature, "but do you speak English? And if you do, could you kindly tell me who you are and why you just attempted to make me your supper? I recommend you answer immediately, else I'll make sure you can never hop again."

"Name's Gamaken," the giant robed toad replied. "My master told me to keep an eye on you, and prevent you from rescuing your friend. I wasn't supposed to reveal myself like this…but I sneezed, and my tongue just shot out on reflex. I'm so clumsy…"

"I find that your answer merely gives me more questions," Vitali stated. "Who is your master? How does he know me? And what does he plan to do with Red?"

"If I told you that, you'd be interfering with my master's plans. In fact, I think I've already told you more than you need to know. Poor, clumsy me…but, at least I have a reason to battle you now," Gamaken said, entering a fighting stance. The speed at which he changed position led Vitali to believe that he was trying to prove how good he was to his master, even though there wasn't any sign that this master was present at all. But, now was not the time to question such things.

Vitali quickly accounted for all the assets he had in this fight. The golf club, which was so worn-out that this would probably be its last battle, was quickly pulled out from the inside of the cleric's robe. The hand that wasn't holding the club grabbed hold of the Pokeball he kept in his pocket, for lack of a belt; Espeon was soon standing by his side. The cleric soon realised that these were his only assets, and began to worry…until he remembered he had reinforcements if he needed them. Gamaken was currently blocking the way back to the cave, but inside, Red had left behind his Tauros and Dragonite. They could provide just the advantage he'd need in a fight like this.

"You ready to fight? Then let's begin!" Gamaken said to the club-wielding man he was prepared to pulverise. The giant frog made the first move, jumping towards Vitali and preparing to strike with the sasumata. Vitali and his cat-like ally dodged the blow, which was quite easy considering the difference in height and their natural affinity for speed.

"Espeon, fetch Red's Pokeballs in the cave! I'll keep him distracted!" Vitali ordered as he dodged another swing. As Espeon performed this deed, Gamaken would have stopped her, had he not been worried about Vitali escaping while he was distracted by the purple feline. Plus, the concept of creatures being kept inside and summoned from balls was still not grasped by the giant frog or his master, who had come from a land with very different summoning rules.

After evading a few more attacks, a single one of which could end his life in an instant, Espeon came back to his side with the other Pokeballs floating by its head. Psychics were certainly handy to have around. Grabbing the two orbs, Vitali summoned the two beasts inside…and only then realized he had no idea how to use them to beat this intimidating foe.

After the foursome quickly scrambled to avoid yet another strike from the large frog, Vitali got an idea. He remembered that, upon asking about the dragon's special abilities, Red had told him one of its skills involved electricity. Certainly, a shock directed towards the giant amphibian would cause major damage, if not kill it entirely. Quickly, Vitali ordered Dragonite to use its Thunder Wave attack. The cleric watched as the dragon began to charge up its attack, and was filled with the hope that this battle would end shortly, and he'd be able to get back to preparing for supper.

Said hope was crushed when Gamaken leapt into the air and landed right on Dragonite, sandwiching the creature between its large feet and the cold ground beneath it. But, that sense of broken hope didn't last long; though in a situation that would kill a mortal man, the Dragonite was able to let out the Thunder wave it was charging. To quote the dimension Red came from, the move was Super Effective! Gamaken, its muscles paralyzed from the blow, fell on its side with shut eyes; it was unconscious before it hit the ground. Dragonite was in bad shape from the attack, but it was certainly in a curable condition.

Vitali finally let out a deep breath. He had no idea why a giant amphibian was trying to end his life, but at least the battle was over. The cleric turned back to the cave he had begun calling home, with the intent of getting the fire ready to cook whatever Red had fished up. But, it appeared that Vitali's trouble had just begun; as soon as he turned around, his keen ears picked up the sound of a large mass hitting the ground just a meter behind him. The chef, with golf club still in hand, attempted to swing around and get the first strike. And he succeeded…which was quite easy, seeing as his next opponent appeared to be a log.

Confused but alert, Vitali turned back towards the cave, and barely managed to dodge a blow to the face. The character in front of the cleric appeared to be some cross between an old man with bad fashion sense and a three-headed frog. More importantly, the hand that had almost struck Vitali held a Kunai, which would've impaled the cleric's cerebral cortex if he didn't act in time. Deeming this odd fellow a dangerous threat, Vitali attempted to get him to back off by shoving his knee into the man's…royal jewels, for lack of a classier term. This tactic failed, for the stranger disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind another log that Vitali scraped his knee again.

Vitali turned around, expecting yet another attempt on his life from the opposite direction. He was correct…except that this attempt was certainly much grander than any other he had faced today. The curious fellow was standing atop of a frog very much like Gamaken; the difference between them was that this frog was even more grand in size, if such a thing were even possible. "Hello!" the old frog-man boomed from his new position. "Vitali the Ethereal, is it?"

"Uh…yes," Vitali replied, unable to say much else in this situation. "Who are you?"

"Now, I wouldn't be a good ninja if I just gave that information to everybody, would I?" the geezer asked, obviously rhetorically. "But, you're going to find out who killed off your partner eventually, and better five minutes after the deed is done by the guy that did it, than during your dying moments…which should take about five minutes, actually. My name is Jiraiya, but you can call me the Toad Sage…for obvious reasons. Just so you know the extent of how much trouble you're in, I'm one of the legendary three Sannin of my homeland. That'd be equivalent to one of your world's 'World Eaters', except that we don't steal souls…well, two of us don't. It's hard to say what exactly happens to the souls of people that Orochimaru possesses…anyways, long story short, I'm gonna kill you. You haven't killed anyone yet, and you're trying to take command from the guys running this show. Now, I'm usually a nice guy, but rules are rules, and you've broken them."

Vitali began to sweat. If he had barely defeated the servant of this BORED employee, there wasn't much hope of toppling the commander. He was about to surrender, knowing full well what fate awaited him, when the chef noticed something. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that the very-much-not-dead-in-the-slightest Red had come back, and was standing upon their cavernous base of operations. This fact made Vitali grin, and prompted him to say, "Don't count your toads before they've croaked."

Red then jumped into the fracas, summoning his Snorlax in order to soften the blow. The teenager then threw a katana at Vitali, a definite upgrade to the extremely-close-to-expiring golf club. While it certainly would be a great help at a time like this, Vitali did ask where and how the heck Red got his hands on it. He quickly dismissed the question, though, deciding that every ounce of focus needed to be on Jiraiya right then and there.

The rest of the battle was fiercer than the beginning had been, only partially because of the fact that it was now two-on-two…well, three humans and a giant frog. The details didn't really matter, especially since more toads were summoned into battle, most of which were dealt with by Red summoning his Pokemon. One of the main highlights of the battle was a massive combination attack between Red's companions and Vitali; the Pikachu and Blastoise worked together to create an electrified cannon of water, allowing the cleric to attempt a slash. While it wouldn't have done much damage, Jiraiya still attempted an evasive manoeuvre, and fell right into a Quake attack by the Tauros. Given the wide range of the attack, and factoring in the confusion from fighting so many opponents at once, it wasn't a surprise that Jiraiya didn't get the chance to perform another substitution before the hit landed.

Of course, being struck such a blow certainly riled up the opponent immensely. The Toad Sage immediately attempted to counter with some form of paper bomb attached to a kunai, but failed to realise Espeon reading his mind and reflecting the technique back at him. Sadly, Jiraiya had planned for this, and used his massive white hair and some ninjitsu magic to nullify the damage. It was at this point where the battle took an extremely melancholy turn; Vitali and his allies were caught off-guard for a split-second, which would have been enough time for the ninja to kill them. Red's Tauros had no choice but to make a heroic sacrifice to take the sage down before the others were annihilated.

Vitali watched silently as his ally, in a burst of pure hatred, attempted to club the Toad Sage to death. The cleric was not surprised at the display of violence, partly because a lifetime of espionage and a year with Gig had desensitised him to most inhumane acts, and partly because vengeance was a powerful force. Still, Vitali thought that their victim should at least have the decency to die a quick death. He almost did it himself, but realised that Red should do the deed himself, even if it meant making his soul a little less desensitised to the violent world around him. After delivering a fatal blow to Jiraiya's own animalistic companion, the Pokemon trainer used the katana to decapitate the Enforcer. Red then collapsed from over exhaustion; frankly, Vitali was amazed that his partner could still breathe after what the boy had gone through today.

Looking back at the body of their opponent, Vitali slightly smirked; access to their one and only chance of escaping this hellhole was one fresh carcass away. It certainly was a coincidence that the type of person Vitali wanted to go after decided to come look for the allied duo himself. After a few seconds of unbuttoning the right pockets, the cleric held in his hand the card key needed to access BORED's (badly-placed, in Vitali's opinion) headquarters. Although forces as powerful as Jiraiya would be on their trail even more often now than before, and though Vitali had no plan as to how to escape once deactivating the barrier around the island, this small victory certainly lightened his spirits.

It was just a shame, however, that the small victory had such a large price. Vitali looked over at the Tauros' dead body, its soul having long left it by now. Best friends, travelling companions, innocent victims…how many must fall before BORED's need for entertainment is satisfied? Speaking of 'fall', while Red was still face-down on the ground, he was probably in good enough condition to help. "I better wake him," Vitali muttered to himself, "so we can help with the disposal of the bodies and the…burying of friends."

Just before the chef approached the lad, Jiraiya's corpse began to ring. Searching it again, Vitali managed to find a small radio. Deciding to take a risk, the cleric turned it on.

"Congratulations, cleric," said a voice that Vitali remembered all too well: Jade Curtiss, the man that had brought him and Gig to this accursed isle. "I witnessed everything from the surveillance system around the volcano. I'd say that you exceeded my expectations, except that I already had big plans for you the moment we first met. Of course, that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you. In fact, troops are being mobilized as we speak, with the purpose of hunting you down. Out of the kindness of my heart, I _did_ convince them to give you a ten-minute head start to find and loot Jiraiya's old residence. Better start running now, unless you'd prefer a permanent residence six feet under."

Vitali scoffed for a brief moment, thinking about whether the man on the other end of the transmission actually knew what kindness meant. He was about to turn the radio off, when Jade decided to make one last comment. "By the way, Vitali, I thought it was very nice of you to mark your friend's tombstone with the hat he won and a lovely flower…it certainly made it easy for our boys to know where to dig."

The radio went dead. Then, the radio fell from Vitali's loosening grip. And seconds later, the radio became bits of scrap metal located under the bottom of the cleric's shoe.

"…That bastard is going to **die**."

**END CHAPTER**

---

**A/N #2:** …Yes, the actual 'versus Jiraiya' part of the fight wasn't really well-described. But, I didn't want to copy Gambit's view of things word-for-word, and I couldn't find the time to pad details on, so I just summarized a few of the events for the sake of my sanity. Plus, there's been at least one tournament chapter by another contestant which is 4 thousand words long…or was it 40 thousand? Either way, a short-yet-interesting chapter like this should be a nice relief.


	7. Epilogue

**Special Dedication:** Before the official note below, I'd like to thank three users in particular. Firstly, I'd like to thank Moonshine's Guide for being the reason I found out about this tournament, and for judging most of my fights. Secondly, I'd like to thank Gambit, who was a good opponent, was a good ally, and is a wonderful person to know in general. And thirdly, I'd like to thank avatarjk137, our gracious host. He manages, he judges, he participates...heck, he was even the beta reader for this epilouge! Without you three I couldn't have gotten as far as I have...or at least, I couldn't have done so with such style and grace.

**Author's Note:** As some of you may have heard (that is, you've been an AWIT fan, or you've checked my profile page), both of my entrants have kicked the theoretical bucket. I had fun while it lasted; I made some new friends, got some writing practice, and got to experiment with a good pair of personalities. But, even though it's common in this tournament to end stories with a mere note that says "I lost, so check my opponent's story to find out how the battle REALLY went", it just didn't feel right to end the tales of Gig and Vitali without proper endings. For Vitali's entry, I wanted to focus more about the consequences of his death rather than the post-mortem journey of the cleric himself. And, as this involves an Enforcer I like to write about, I wanted to get this one finished first.

- - - - -

**Epilogue: The Neurotic, the Nereid, and the Necromancer**

"FISH! FISH EVERY DAY! FISH EVERY NIGHT! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"

"Oh, shut up. What's the big deal, anyways?"

"The big deal? THE BIG DEAL?! I'll tell you what the big deal is: I'M NOT A FECKING MERMAN…mer-lady…whatever! MERE MORTAL MEN CANNOT CONTINUOUSLY CRAVE FRESH FLOUNDER, FOOL!"

"…You've gone mad. I warned you not to drink the sea water…"

"Well, did you think this dinghy could carry enough supplies to last OVER THREE FECKING YEARS?!"

"It hasn't been three years!"

"WELL, IT SURE AS HECK FEELS LIKE IT!"

…As some observant readers might have guessed, the scene has begun with Odie and Juno arguing. For those that have skipped their sections entirely, the two of them come from Gig and Vitali's universe, and they had made a harrowing journey to get revenge on BORED for turning their homeland into a depository for illegally-earned cash. After weeks of being lost at sea, almost being caught by the navy, and having a bottle flung at them by a wacko in a red-and-black coloured outfit, they arrived…

…Only to find that the entire island was surrounded by a barrier even Odie's powerful magic could not penetrate. Since then, they had been sailing circles around the island, waiting for a chance to get in. The island's surveillance system had probably caught them time and time again, but the duo was in such unfit shape that a chocolate bar was more of a threat than they were…actually, chocolate-based items were an _extreme_ threat to BORED at this point in time, but that's another story.

Now would also be a good time to mention that neither of them knew about Gig and Vitali's participation in this competition, let alone that they had both been defeated. Go figure.

"Look, Odie, you're not the only one who has had to make sacrifices," Juno began, trying to calm her travelling partner down. "I have no idea how well my darling little Penn is doing without my care, or if the Nereid Queen requires my services on the field of battle. But, I'm not giving up because of what I've left back home. Instead, I continue BECAUSE of them; if I walked away from this, knowing that their lives will be forever tainted by a corrupt corporation I had a chance to stop, I just couldn't live with myself. We're standing at the gates of the enemy, and no matter how long it will take us, I swear we WILL find a way to break their defences! Now's not the time to give up!"

"Well, why not?!" Odie, who was at the brink of madness (if not past it), spat back. "We've failed, Juno; we've risked everything, and all for naught! My strongest magicks couldn't even cause this barrier to ripple, let alone rip open a hole to let us through! Nothing short of a miracle could save us now!"

It was at that precise, exact, and coincidental moment that the shield around the island dropped. If Juno could've seen Odie's face behind his mask, she probably would've asked him to pick his jaw up off of the floor.

* * *

Meanwhile, from within BORED HQ, the man whom had brought Vitali and Gig to Grand Cross Isle was preparing himself for the dark presence he could feel. _I was wondering when something would go terribly, terribly wrong,_ he thought brightly, as he placed his weapon of choice closer to his work station. A powerful foe had infiltrated the base, and despite Jade Curtiss' superb skills when it came to Mystic Fonic Artes, it was wise to be prepared in case the threat proved to be resistant to his spells.

"Sir Jade," uttered the voice of the single Klokateer standing behind the man. Specifically, it was the Klokateer that had driven the helicopter Gig arrived on, helped dig up Gig's grave so that Jade could study the demon, and who had generally been Jade's personal lackey since the magician had set himself up as the center of BORED's communications. "Will you need my assistance during this mayhem?"

"I should be fine on my own; you'd best join your fellow mooks," Jade told him. "If there's anything you'd like to ask me, now would be a wonderful time to do so, as there's a fairly high chance that this will be the last time you'll have the privilege of chatting with me. I should warn you: any questions involving last-minute pay checks will be pointless if you don't live long enough to cash them in."

"I have just one query…it's about the cleric, sir. The one you enlisted when you went to get the reaper. He wasn't on our original lists, and you had nothing to gain for capturing additional contestants. I've heard that you're a brilliant tactician, who can plan a war's worth of strategy within mere hours. But, when it comes to why you brought that man to this island, I never could figure out the reason."

"…I wanted a replacement," Jade replied. When the Klokateer failed to reply, Jade took it as a signal to continue. "Just because I'm a master at the art of war, it doesn't mean I never tire of it. When I was apprehending Gig in his establishment, I could sense that the man had great skill. Had he survived this petty, bloody sport, there was no doubt that he would have gone after me…especially if I had the chance to inform the man we disgraced his partner's grave for scientific purposes. And if he could have defeated me in combat, it means he had the skill to outmanoeuvre any opponent he faced, and I would have died knowing that there was a genius of equal calibre to take my place in this world."

"…Is that the truth, sir? Or are you making this all up, faking a disdain for your tactical prowess as some part of a master plan that I'm not meant to know about?"

"…I guess that's just something you'll have to think about as you avoid becoming the main course of our recent guest, isn't it? Now, run along with the rest of your pack; daddy needs some alone time."

"Uh…yes, sir," said the Klokateer, as he saluted the Enforcer and hurried out the door. After he left, Jade sat on his chair, and began to ponder. _A replacement…for something I came up with on the spot, that's actually not a bad idea. I'll certainly have to change the 'he should defeat me to prove his worth' part, though; it would be bad for my reputation if I'm bested by my own student._

The necromancer then noticed a small blip on one of the screens; apparently, two people, one with grand magical potential, had arrived on the island via a dinghy. Jade decided to ignore this and return to his thoughts; if they were imbecilic enough to get involved in BORED's current fiasco on their own free will, they would probably be slaughtered before becoming too big of a hassle.

* * *

Once Jade's Klokateer friend left the room, walked down the hall, and turned around the corner, he paused. Once he was certain the coast was clear, he smiled. But, it was not an ordinary smile; it was the kind of smile only seen on the faces of sharks and serial murderers. "All this time, Mr. Curtiss, and you never once asked me why I was so loyal to you," he whispered to himself. "I wonder if you already knew who I was…or if you were too confident in your own abilities to be concerned over such a thing. I guess I'll find out the answer to that by the day's end."

The man then removed his Klokateer disguise, and continued to walk down the hall.

**End of Story**

- - - - -

**A.N. #2:** …Yeah, it ends on a cliff hanger. I was told by my beta-reader that having the assistant be someone in disguise actually made more sense, due to Jade's lack of connections with Dethklok. I would say more, but I want the still-competing members of this tourney to draw their own conclusions as to who that fellow could be, and turn this small twist into something grand. Anyways, that's it for Vitali's tale! See y'all later!


End file.
